Heavy Sterile Neutrino in Dark Matter Searches

Abstract

Sterile neutrinos are possible dark matter candidates. We examine here possible detection mechanisms, assuming that the neutrino has a mass of about 50 keV and couples to the ordinary neutrino. Even though this neutrino is quite heavy, it is nonrelativistic with a maximum kinetic energy of 0.1 eV. Thus new experimental techniques are required for its detection. We estimate the expected event rate in the following cases: (i) measuring electron recoil in the case of materials with very low electron binding; (ii) low temperature crystal bolometers; (iii) spin induced atomic excitations at very low temperatures, leading to a characteristic photon spectrum; (iv) observation of resonances in antineutrino absorption by a nucleus undergoing electron capture; (v) neutrino induced electron events beyond the end point energy of beta decaying systems, for example, in the tritium decay studied by KATRIN.